raView: “eSports”
Today’s raView will be a bit of a short one, due to it being Sunday and all (I’ll be spending most of today watching the NFL.) Anyhow, I’ve been having a weird taste in my mouth lately, and although it could have been from burning my tongue, I think it’s something more serious. A bigger issue at hand.
….Okay, maybe not.
First, let’s do a quick test. What do you think of when I say type “sports”? Football, soccer (sorry Europeans), or hockey maybe? Okay, how about “eSports”? No?
I have to wonder, why does the term “eSports” cause a smirk and chuckle from most people I say it to? Does it somehow materialize chocolate on my face when I say it? Is it because it’s an entertainment industry that struggles here in the States because people look down on gamers who are still being stigmatized as fat, socially inept, <insert your own adjective here>, and nerdy (coupled with a huge nation that has somewhat crappy infrastructure and a struggling economy?) Whatever the case, the word seems to garner banter from gamers and non-gamers alike.
Do Madden games count as eSports? How about FIFA or Pro Evolution Soccer? These are, quite literally, electronic sports games as opposed to other “eSports” games like, well, Counter-Strike 1.6 where you shoot people and plant bombs. Surely though, there must be an easier term to use that rolls off the tongue easier than “eSports-and-games-that-include-a-lot-of-shooting-or-mouse-and-button-clicking”.
I know! Let’s try “competitive gaming”! No? Eh.
raView: While the term “eSports” may be the most used term, the fact its name is “electronic sports” really shouldn’t bother anyone. It may be a wrong term, but in the end, who honestly cares?
Disclaimer: The preceding written opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of Gamefire.
For angry letters about why soccer is the real football and other American things that annoy Europeans (like math), send them to vxu@gamefire.com
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